1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to an image forming apparatus such as a copier, a printer, a facsimile machine, and a multifunction machine including at least two of these functions.
2. Discussion of the Background Art
There are image forming apparatuses, such as copiers, printers, facsimile machines, etc., that are provided with a scanner as an image reading part located above an apparatus body in which an image forming part is included. When an upper surface of the apparatus body is used as a sheet stack part onto which sheets are discharged after images are recorded thereon, that is, the sheet stack part is located within a housing of the image forming apparatus, the image forming apparatus has an advantage that its footprint is smaller.
In such an image forming apparatus, sheets may be discharged onto the sheet stack part transversely or anteroposteriorly. To make the image forming apparatus compact, the scanner is located so that much of it overhangs the sheet stack part and a space between the sheet stack part and the scanner is kept to a minimum.
However, when sheets are discharged anteroposteriorly from front to back and an optical exposure system of the scanner is located so as to scan an original document transversely, that is, in a direction perpendicular to the sheet discharge direction, a home position of the optical exposure system is located on one side of the scanner. In this case, the scanner has a heavier load on the side of the home position of the optical exposure system, which might affect scanning.
Further, if the scanner is supported by supporters provided on three sides on the apparatus body, the image forming apparatus should be configured so that discharged sheets do not hit the supporter, which increases the size of the image forming apparatus.
Moreover, providing the supporters on both sides in the sheet discharge direction makes it difficult to see and to remove sheets stacked on the sheet stack part.